Department of English
Pioneering Vanderbilt scholars Amy-Jill Levine and Hortense Spillers elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Apr. 22, 2021—The American Academy of Arts and Sciences announced today the election of two esteemed members of Vanderbilt’s faculty, Amy-Jill Levine, University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies and Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies, and Hortense Spillers, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English. They are among 252 new members selected for the academy in 2021.
Class of 2021: Twins combine passions for literature, science in emerging area of narrative medicine
Mar. 26, 2021—Identical twins Jade and Jazmyn Ayers have immersed themselves in literature and personal narratives for years, leading to majors in English as well as a creative way to pair storytelling with another of their passions: medicine.
Vanderbilt authors, works highlighted at 2020 Southern Festival of Books
Oct. 2, 2020—The Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word will be held online Oct. 1-11, with Vanderbilt faculty, staff and alumni participating and three new VU Press titles spotlighted.
New faculty Major Jackson: Community through poetry
Sep. 28, 2020—Major Jackson, an accomplished poet and essayist, will join the Vanderbilt faculty as Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English in January 2021 after 18 years in the Department of English at the University of Vermont.
Vanderbilt names 2020 Founder’s Medalists
May. 8, 2020—Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente announced Vanderbilt’s 2020 Founder’s Medalists in a video message to the university community on May 8.
Writing seminar considers chivalry in the age of COVID-19
Apr. 28, 2020—Students in "King Arthur and the Literature of Chivalry," a writing seminar taught by University Librarian and Professor of English Valerie Hotchkiss, devoted recent class time to what 21st-century chivalry looks like, especially during COVID-19.
On Becoming a Writer: Robert Funke’s Showtime series is funny, angry and original
Feb. 17, 2020—On Becoming a God in Central Florida is an oddly academic-sounding title for a TV show, especially one as kinetic and funny as the Showtime series starring Kirsten Dunst that premiered in August. But as the series’ co-creator Robert Funke, BA’09, explains, the title reflects the nature of the storytelling. “There’s a little bit of...
Chancellor’s Lecture panelists Little, Pinker and Zimmer explore why divisions persist in an age of abundant data
Dec. 6, 2019—Amanda Little, Steven Pinker and Carl Zimmer joined moderator Jon Meacham for the final Chancellor’s Lecture Series of 2019. The panel discussed how expanded access to data has changed human approaches to every part of our lives.
Lifelong learners over 50 invited to sign up for Vanderbilt Osher winter classes
Nov. 26, 2019—Winter 2020 classes offered by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt include the history of Fort Negley, memoir writing, brain disorders and a Shakespeare production.
Little, Pinker and Zimmer to discuss global challenges at Chancellor’s Lecture
Nov. 20, 2019—Amanda Little, Steven Pinker and Carl Zimmer will discuss with moderator Jon Meacham "2020 and Beyond: Tackling Global Issues in the Decades to Come" at the Dec. 3 Chancellor's Lecture Series event.
Meet Vanderbilt authors at the Southern Festival of Books
Oct. 11, 2019—Vanderbilt faculty, staff and alumni will be part of this weekend’s free Southern Festival of Books downtown at War Memorial Plaza and the Nashville Public Library.
Find Your Impact: English major mixes silly with serious in musical tackling climate change
Oct. 7, 2019—Junior Foster Swartz is pursuing his passions for writing and directing with “Global Warming: The Musical,” which will be performed Oct. 11 and 12 in Sarratt Cinema.